Bob Moesta, Struggling is the Seed of Innovation The Nelda Podcast

Moesta readily admits, “I was that annoying child who asked a thousand questions because that’s how I learned.” It’s a methodology he still uses today. According to Moesta, “Questions are the cornerstone of innovation. Without questions, you don’t actually understand how anything works. Questions also create spaces in the brain for solutions to fall into.” Finding solutions to problems is his stock in trade. Through The Re-Wired Group, an innovation consultancy and incubator, Moesta has created innovative solutions to problems with the ultimate goal of improving lives. He contends, “People don’t buy products or services. They hire them to make progress in their lives.” Getting to the bottom of what consumers really want is behind his process of rigorous interrogation. He starts by looking through the lens of what he calls “the beginners mind ”, not knowing the answer, but being curious to discover and learn.

Adds Moesta, the key is “building the right frames, in the right box, with the right boundaries, and being creative inside the box.” His framing starts with identifying root problems and goals—where do people struggle and where do they want to make progress? From there, Moesta integrates established core concepts in search of better ways to reach a desired goal. The process is not predictable and demands discovery, learning, creativity, and nimble adaptability. However, the end result is well worth it. “Innovation is really about actually helping people make progress and helping society.”

With thousands of success stories, Moesta’s process of innovating has been applied to everything from products and services to brands and business models. He co-authored the books Demand-Side Sales 101: Stop Selling and Help Your Customers Make Progress, and The Jobs-to-be-Done Handbook: Practical techniques for improving your application of Jobs-to-be-Done, as well as Choosing College: How to Make Better Learning Decisions Throughout Your Life .

As a lifelong learner with multiple degrees, Moesta believes that education is long overdue for disruptive, but progressive innovation. He sees enormous room for improvement not only to address different learning styles, but outcomes as well. With the soaring costs of higher education, the stakes are high. College may not be the best choice for every learner and choosing the right college is critical to achieving a desired goal. He believes his approach can help.

Moesta recommends starting with a “360 degree view and elimination of directions. Look for what really energizes you because when people are doing what they love, they don’t even see it as work anymore.”

Sounds like a great place to land.